


Bleakest Reasons and Brightest Solution

by SonOfDysonSphere



Series: Desperate Retrieval of Relative Bonding [2]
Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/F, not yet together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24797281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonOfDysonSphere/pseuds/SonOfDysonSphere
Summary: Marisa Kirisame has hidden away from the attempts of her family to reconnect with her. The only person that truly understands her plight wants her to face it, but...*sequal to Desperate Retreival of Relative Bonding and inspired by a dear friend*
Relationships: Kirisame Marisa/Alice Margatroid
Series: Desperate Retrieval of Relative Bonding [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793566
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Bleakest Reasons and Brightest Solution

The romance toned stars of night restrained into a muted predawn morning appropriate for crafting projects. Meanwhile, the still concealed sun prepared to reset the sky's canvas into a colour that always reminded the ordinary magician, Marisa Kirisame, of a certain doll maker's eyes. However, the second best incident solver in Gensokyo slept through this time of day when the second most formidable bird of prey, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, would return home with the night's spoils. Safely swaddled in sheets crafted in a practical and sturdy style usually reserved for industrious bees, though co-opted here by Alice Margatroid, Marisa existed in blissful unconsciousness long beyond normal waking time. The bright dawn brimming with bird bidding did little to dispel the mundane witch's slumber. Neither the clinking of a tea set fulfilling its morning duties, nor the pervasive scent of brunch filling the Margatroid Cottage boasted success in this regard either.   
It was not till the heat of midday warmed Marisa's bedding burrito and caused sweat to soak through her custom monogrammed sleepwear that she awoke with a still half-asleep assumption that somehow rain had leaked onto her while she slept. No evidence of rain could be gleaned from the cutting strip of sunlight passing between the curtains in Alice's room, nor would someone so obsessive about perfection allow regular roof maintenance to slacken. Despite continually staying at Alice's domicile for months, Marisa still regularly awoke to find herself awkwardly awash with the uncertainty of coming astir in a room not her own. Ignoring the rebellious strands of hair like doll strings in front of her face, Marisa made her way downstairs, the lingering aroma of cooked food guiding her still sleepy descending steps like marionettist's hands.  
“'merning” Her voice not yet warmed for conversation, Marisa still managed an informal greeting to the host that had been so patient with her.  
“Good afternoon,” Alice corrected without condescension, “I was wondering if I would have to-”   
Alice's sentence cut off abruptly upon witnessing the state Marisa was in, dishevelled hair with sleepy eyes and sheer pyjamas soaked in sweat. Despite their familiar proximity for many months now, Alice was still not yet accustomed to the casual intimacy of seeing another so fresh out of bed.  
“You should really get dressed before coming downstairs.” Alice huffed while simultaneously beginning to turn a light red colour that could easily be found among the rainbow stars of Marisa's spell card patterns. “Come here, I'll brush your hair.”  
Reaching for a fine alabaster brush with gold inlay the same tone as Marisa's hair, Alice's words brought the other witch to the chair beside her as if through a spell. Going about the work with all the care and soft repetition of doll making, Alice proceeded through Marisa's wonderfully expansive curls while an unintended smile made every effort to appear on her face. The odour of sweat did not elicit a negative response from Alice, merely a reminder of something familiar and a desire to have her dolls draw a bath for her messy guest, which they did with a wave of Alice's hand. For a time, the only sounds heard throughout the Margatroid cottage were a basin filling with water and Alice humming while she worked, engrossed in watching her own hands disappear into Marisa's hair...

* * *

The afternoon sun was in full bluster, with not a single cloud to inhibit its onslaught to bring a warm and loamy summer scent to the Forest of Magic. While inside Alice's cottage Marisa finished cleaning herself, the owner of the cottage received a report from one of her dolls in the form of a head shake. Hesitating before offering a soft knock to her own bathroom, Alice spoke through the door.  
“Marisa, are you out of clean clothes again?”  
“I think so.”  
Alice could not fathom how Marisa went through clothes so quickly, but still took a moment before making a suggestion.  
“We'll probably have to go by your house for some more, the dolls can't keep up with the laundry.”  
Alice heard something fall to the floor and Marisa curse in the room over. Over the past few months the topic of how long Marisa was going to stay with Alice had come up less often than troublemakers caused incidents. It was unknown to Alice if Marisa's absence from those events made any difference, but she could tell her dear friend had been in no state to go running off firing peace disturbing lasers and breaking into dangerous places.  
Marisa Kirisame, the golden demon, scourge of libraries, and amateur firework engineer, had spent the last nine months hiding at her closest friend's house from her families attempts to reconnect with her. What began as a drunken sleep over to bring about better spirits and more determination turned into an extended visit that sometimes made Alice wish she had finished her guest room sooner. The small handful of excursions back to Marisa's house for clothes and other items had been brief and to the point.   
No event or conversation, sober or otherwise, hinted that this time would be different.

* * *

The two witches shared the love seat by the sitting room window, the stark daylight of the afternoon both illuminating the pages of their individual books to Master Spark brightness levels and working to dry a hastily cleaned set of clothes for Marisa to wear. By design, a love seat is a furniture piece that seats two individuals positioned upright properly, but leaves little room for Marisa's favourite state of being, casual sprawling. While the larger couch would have been better for the room Marisa requires to sit comfortably, it was currently occupied with doll project materials and excess supplies from Marisa's house.   
“They're probably dry by now.” Alice was the first to break the silence, informing the woman leaning up against her.  
“I guess we should get going then.” Marisa rubbed the corner of her current page to memorize its texture, closed the book, and got to her feet.  
In a minute, the two women were ready to leave and doing so, left the dolls to continue menial chores.

* * *

The wood birds that began their song long before Marisa arose continued even now hours later. The hiss of cicadas pleading for release had since joined the chorus, lending their white noise to the Forest of Magic's ambience. The two witches, in light attire to combat the heat, rode atop Marisa's flying broom, to the far side of the forest where Marisa's hybrid house/shop resided in a now overgrown clearing.  
“Oh.” Alice let out a light gasp and Marisa grimaced as they both came to see the state of the strange magic shop in the middle of the forest.  
Several crates of rain-washed items sat outside the door, letters overstuffed the mailbox, and some high powered individual had lost their temper, putting a somewhat sizable hole into one of the walls, before hastily scrawling a rough “SORRY” beside it.  
“What a dump.” Marisa declared as they landed in an attempt to lighten the mood before moving for the door.  
Alice on the other hand began examining the letters and, since there was no such thing as a felony in Gensokyo, began reading them.   
Letters from disgruntled customers, a single letter from the Shrine Maiden, and many letters from the Kirisame family, who Alice suspected were the reason behind the crates left outside. Items of varying use sat inside the small handful of boxes, cooking utensils, sewing tools, something pickled, and a myriad of more eclectic items.   
“More 'magic items' huh....” Alice mused before noticing a shift in the atmosphere. An artificial hum had joined the orchestra of natural sounds and it took the experienced magician little time to locate its source:  
A light sage fairy hole necklace sat innocuously among the mundane drivel of the cases.  
“Strange...” Alice was both astonished and intrigued by the discovery of something actually magical considering the source. “I suppose if you cast your net wide enough...”  
The necklace promptly found its way into Alice's pocket upon hearing the door to the house open.   
“Get what you needed?” Alice hid her surprise.  
“Mostly, its even worse on the inside.” Marisa's mind appeared to be elsewhere in thought.  
“I'll help you clean it up when the time comes.” The volunteering response took no time whatsoever.  
“I uhhh...” Alice could tell Marisa was once again struggling with how to deal with her family.  
“We could start right now.” Alice put every effort forth to keep her eyes locked on her anxious friend and away from the crates loosely arranged along the front of the house.  
“I don't think I can come back here.”  
That line silenced the cicadas and birds of the forest as if all their worldly desires had been fulfilled and there was nothing left to scream about.   
“What do you mean? You can't keep running away from your family Marisa.” The statement following the question was counterproductive to producing an answer and hesitant silence filled the time instead until it could be broken.  
“I've been meaning to say this for a while now but every time I bring it up seems like the improper time.” Alice stepped the distance between them and grabbed the other witch's hands. “I'm beginning to think there is no proper time so here goes.”  
Wind swept through the clearing, creaking loose boards in the slapdash house and bringing swinging rhythm to the countless tree branches around the clearing. Alice took a breath before continuing, the woman she respected most standing pensively before her, unfazed by her hands suddenly being grasped and the minimal distance between them.  
“You are the bravest person I have ever met. Not just when it comes to adventure or danger but when it comes to yourself and who you are and what you do. You are bold and brash and if you have ever cared about what people thought of you or your actions then it has never shown for the entire time I have had the supreme pleasure of knowing you. I do not struggle to suspect even longer than that. In your own words you have boasted that you built this house yourself, made a name for yourself, and,” Alice paused for a breath without thinking. “Made ties with people. Important, lifelong ties.”  
Alice felt now was the time to possess more care in her words.  
“You inspire me to be a more unapologetic self. I care for you deeply and you haven't been yourself for a long time. Therefore, I must have you tell me what your family could possible say or do to erase all the effort and success you have put forth and seen to fruition.”  
Time stop magic was not unheard of in Gensokyo, and while not in play here, it would be easy for either magician to question its possible presence.  
“I don't know, I really don't.”   
“That isn't an answer.” Alice began to get impatient.  
“It's just a feeling!” Marisa sounded more sure with that description. “A certain and dreaded feeling that through some method it is inevitable.”  
“Well you won't know until you try talking to them then will you? Come on, lets get your house cleaned up, you can't stay at my house forever and you will have to face them eventually.”  
“I can't keep staying with you?” Marisa's weak voice made Alice realize her attempts to instill the same confidence Marisa gave to her was not succeeding.   
Reason was the only tool left.  
“Well of course you are welcome anytime as my most treasured guest, but it's been over nine months. If you haven't noticed, the life you have worked so hard to build on your own is looking a little run down.” Alice now grasped Marisa by the shoulders at arms length, allowing the golden eyed witch to see passed Alice and take in once again the shop's current state and what was at stake.  
“I don't uh...” Marisa's face did not belie the turmoil within her as her hands fumbled into her pockets.   
Alice took that as a sign to bring her most treasured friend into a hard embrace that nearly brought shock to Marisa's face, though her arms returned the gesture tightly.  
“I'll be here for you through it all. I'll help you clean and bring your stuff back here. I'll even go with you to see your par-”   
A familiar and all consuming beam sound, accompanied by the brightest white light to ever be blessed with rainbow accents, exploded directly behind Alice Margatroid. For all the times she had witnessed the Master Spark up close, she never thought it could sound so powerful.  
“Alice, my dear friend, I appear to be homeless. Is there any way I could stay at your house?” Marisa's voice now held every aspect of playful deceit Alice had ever witnessed her use on others, and immediately looked to survey the scene behind her.  
The Kirisame Magic Shop had been reduced to what a generous person might refer to as a decimated crater.   
'And the tool of reason destroyed with it.' Alice thought to herself with a sigh.  
“I can't believe you just did that.” Another sigh before. “Come on back to my place then. I need several drinks after all this.”  
As the two women took off, Alice still incredulous that such an event even just occurred, a query came to her mind.  
“Did you at least get some clothes?”  
The witch controlling the broom winced and the answer was obvious.

* * *

An evening of food and drink improved spirits and eventually laughter made an appearance in their conversations once more. While it was impossible for Alice to stay mad at her dear Marisa, she also still held her concerns on how the other witch was handling her problems. Alcohol suppressed those concerns for the time being and Alice spent the night chatting happily while focusing on the physical aspects of the woman in front of her, already planning out new outfits she would make for her.   
Marisa likewise forgot about her problems for the present. That is until the two women went to sleep in the same bed on the second floor of Alice's cottage, the window curtains of Alice's room easing in the night's summer breeze in measured motions.  
A light from the barely open Mini-Hakkero no bigger than what an outside world lighter would produce illuminated Alice's sleeping face, a still drunk Marisa whispered to what she hoped was a deep sleeping Alice.  
“You're the only one who's opinion I truly care about.”  
The light snuffed with a small click and the troubled magician went to bed in time to easily meet the usual noon wake up quota...


End file.
